Many factors combined play a significant role in giving you a good night’s sleep – from a good sleeping position to proper bedroom lights, your mood during bedtime, to what you eat before sleeping. Among these, one of the factors that significantly affect your sleep is room temperature.
Haven’t there been times when you have had problems sleeping at night since it was so hot outside? Turning on the air conditioner and fan at full speed might not have relieved you from the discomfort. Contrastingly, despite the several blankets, you cannot stop shivering on colder days.
The bottom line is that temperature plays a significant role in affecting your sleep. Read on to learn the ideal room temperature for sleeping. Also, get to know what you can do to make your bedroom more comfortable during bedtime.
What is the Ideal Temperature to Sleep?
Sleep psychologists say the best bedroom temperature for a comfortable night’s sleep is 65°F. The temperature range of 60°F and 70°F is ideal. Adjusting room temperature also depends on the bedding and bedclothes you use.
For example, suppose you prefer tucking yourself to sleep in several layers of duvet or comforters. In that case, a room temperature of 60°F is fine. On the other hand, if you like sleeping without covers or a single duvet, keep the room warm at 65-68°F.
There isn’t any scientific reason behind 65°F being the ideal sleeping temperature. Yet, it has some connection with the internal temperature regulation of your body.
The circadian cycle is the 24-hour natural process regulating your sleep-wake cycle. Your body temperature keeps going up and down throughout the day. But, at night, particularly during bedtime, it starts falling. It reaches its lowest point at daybreak (around 5 in the morning).
So your sleeping environment must also be at par with your body temperature, neither too hot nor too cold, lest it could disrupt your sleep and make you feel uncomfortable.
What Happens When You Sleep Too Hot
Our core body temperature decreases when we sleep, so it’s natural that we might want more warmth or coziness. But you could get restless if your bedroom gets too humid or hot.
According to a study prepared by the National Library of Medicine, compiling data from 765,000 respondents in the U.S. stated that sleep disruption mostly occurs in summer. It was also more common among low-income groups who couldn’t afford an air conditioner to beat the heat.
A similar kind of study by the NLM in 2012 deduced that room temperature has a direct bearing on a person’s sleep.
What Happens When You Sleep Too Cold
Sleeping cold also has some drawbacks. True, it may not affect your sleeping pattern, but it might adversely impact your health. When we are cold, our body starts functioning highly to make us warm again. The result is that the blood vessels get constricted, our breathing gets shallow, and there is a lot of pressure on the cardiovascular system to regulate the body temperature.
What are the Best Humidity Levels for a Better Sleep?
This has been debatable. The EPA or Environmental Protection Agency suggests the ideal relative humidity indoors be around 30-50%. However, some studies mention 40-60% as a better range. To know more about the preferred humidity level for sleeping, read what Sarah Wagner at SweetIslandDreams.com says.
Different Ways to Maintain the Perfect Sleep Temperature
Besides maintaining the room temperature, you can also keep your body cool for a better night’s sleep. Read on to know more.
Keep Your Room Temperature Under Control
Manage the thermostat of your home in a way that the temperature drops when you go to sleep at night. For instance, keeping the thermostat at a higher temperature during the day is okay. However, at night ensure that the temperature is low to give you quality sleep.
Dr. Chris Winter from the Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine advises keeping the thermostat low even if one is uncomfortable sleeping in a cold room. Instead, he suggests layering with extra blankets. In this way, one could just push away the blankets if they get warm, and their sleep wouldn’t be disrupted as the room would remain cold.
Go For Cooling Bedding
If the room temperature can’t be altered, and you aren’t able to sleep each night because of the intense heat in your bedroom, try altering the bedding. Cooling mattresses and cooling pillows are some of the accessories that give you comfort. If you haven’t managed to get specialized bedding, try a simple hack at home.
Wrap your pillowcase in a plastic bag and keep them inside the freezer. Then, while sleeping, use it on your pillow. When your head is cooled, your body follows suit. However, please don’t overdo it, as it could lead to an increase in your blood pressure.
Sleep Comfortably
Wear light and breathable clothing during bedtime so that the air passes well. You can keep a cold pack or water bottle near your bed and use them when needed.
So, now you know how significant temperature is in regulating your sleep. Ensure that you set an ideal room temperature for quality sleep that would, in turn, impact your physical and emotional well-being.
